Parents in the North should learn from pushier mums and dads in the South

Published:14:08Tuesday 06 December 2016

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Parents in the North of England could learn from pushier mums and dads in the South to help their children achieve the best grades, the children’s tsar has said.

Anne Longfield, the Children’s Commissioner for England, said “tiger” mums in the South are more likely to strive for improvements in schools.

Her comments came ahead of the publication of her Growing up North research on children’s prospects in the region, which will be launched tomorrow.

One of the real drivers of improvements of schools in London has been the demand for good school results from parents and children.

There is much we northern parents can learn from this parent power. Anne Longfield, the Children’s Commissioner for England A North-South attainment gap opens up in secondary school, according to the study.

It comes after Ofsted’s chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw warned last week the gap between the North and South had widened and was threatening the country’s competitiveness.

Speaking ahead of the launch, Leeds-based mother Ms Longfield said: “As northern parents, we need to be aware of these inconsistencies and variations in secondary schools and push hard for schools to show how they are improving and helping our children to achieve.”

At the launch of the project, the Commissioner is expected to call for regeneration in the North to focus on reshaping the prospects of all children and put them on a par with those in the South.

Data from the Sutton Trust think tank found that 42 per cent of children in London had been tutored privately compared with 16 per cent in Yorkshire and the Humber and 13 per cent in the North West.

Ms Longfield said that while the “tiger” parents of London and the South East had been mocked for their emphasis on extra homework and music lessons, there was something to be learned from how they demanded more for their children from schools and children.

She said: “One of the real drivers of improvements of schools in London has been the demand for good school results from parents and children. There is much we northern parents can learn from this parent power.”